The Little Russian Soldier
by dragonrider1234
Summary: MulanAU! (Not the Little Mermaid). Natasha knows that there is more to her than meets the eye, and that she is meant for greater things. But as World War 2 rages on, she must save her father from the fight by becoming a soldier herself. Along the way, she will meet new friends, make new enemies, find love, and just maybe, she might find herself.
1. Prologue

**AN: Hey guys, I'm back with another multi-chapter story! Can you believe it!? Yep, this is not a one-shot, but a full out story...I'm so proud of myself. Well any who, since many people have enjoyed my Cinderella version of Iron Man, I have decided to start a Mulan version of Captain America (sort of - you'll know what I mean soon) and it will also be another story for my Avengers/Disney series. Don't be fooled by the title, this is a Mulan story, not The Little Mermaid.**

 **As for now, this is only a test run to see if people want to read this, so enjoy the show.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything, except for any made up characters in this story.**

 **The Little Russian Soldier**

 _Prologue_

All is quiet in the peaceful town of Tonsberg, Norway. Even in the midst of what is thought to be the worst war in history, between the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan, and the Allies: Britain, France, the Soviet Union, the United States, and many others, the town manages to stay out of the line of fire. The people there thank the gods themselves for giving them this blessing, but they still live with a bit of caution as the Nazis continue their advances northwards towards Norway. They are also especially nervous because within their quaint town is a secret; a secret that was given to them as a gift from the gods of old themselves.

To be cautious, the town has set-up numerous watches and patrols around the borders of the town, and a few yards away is an Allied military base meant to assist the military units in the vicinity, along with any Allied troops in the areas up north. The military base is massive, but hasn't been majorly ambushed yet. But that will all soon change.

* * *

A local patrolman is on his usual route along the shorelines of the town. The darkness of the night, along with the ominous fog that just rolled in, makes the patrol all the more foreboding, and the young man grips his rifle tighter and pulls it closer to his body.

 _'Something doesn't feel right,'_ the man ponders in his head as he pauses on his hike and looks out into the sea, even though there isn't much to see in the dense fog. Leaning on a rail, the young man props his rifle next to him and is about to light a cigarette, when he hears something faint out in the water. The sound is too faint to be able to properly identify, so giving it no thought, he lights his cigarette and begins smoking.

Then, a few moments later, a small boat comes up to shore and a few men step off. Forgetting about the proper procedure of dealing with suspicious activities, the young patrolman leans further off the rail to try to see the men, who seem to be too preoccupied with something on their ship to notice his presence. After a few minutes of quiet chatter, they begin to unload some things from their vessel and place it on their back. Realizing that they must have not seen him due to the fog, the young man uses that to his advantage and takes out his spy glass to get a better look through the dense fog. What he sees next makes him nearly drop it.

On the shores were soldiers, and while their strange helmets and dark uniform completely covers their bodies, they all have the Nazi band on their arms and the HYDRA patch beneath it - they have come.

Without thinking, the foolish patrolman yells out to them, "HEY! STOP WHERE YOU ARE!" This immediately stops the men in their tracks, and they all look towards the young man, but it is too late...

For the patrolman.

Within seconds more ships and tanks begin to swarm the shores, seeming to come out of nowhere, along with even more soldiers until the beach is filled to the brim with them, and the young man could only stare in horror. He is soon snapped out of his shock when shots were being fired right at him; forgetting his rifle, the man makes a run for one of the alarm posts set so that in case of an attack, the town can be warned and prepare themselves. As he ran, a shot manages to hit the back of his right shoulder, sending him to the ground.

However, he doesn't even feel the pain and crawls back on his feet, rushes to the alarm pole, and pulls it. After hearing the alarms blare all over the town, the fatigue, pain, and blood lost finally begins to affect the young man, and he falls to the ground, leaning on the pole for support and clutching his injured shoulder in agony. When he lifts his head up, he realizes that he is surrounded by HYDRA soldiers, all pointing their rifles at him.

Knowing that calling for help is futile, the patrolman sits up straighter, still using the pole for support, and stares up at the HYDRA soldiers in defiance. "You'll never get what you seek!" the man yells in his native tongue.

The soldiers didn't show any reaction to the young man's exclamation; instead, they parted to let their leader through. The leader is a tall, middle-age man and his name is Johann Schmidt. Schmidt bends down to the sitting man's eye level, and in a heavy German accent, he replies, "Oh. Ve'll just see about that." He then pulls out his personal handgun and fires at the poor younger man, killing him instantly.

After putting away his gun, and looking at the corpse of the patrolman is disgust, Schmidt turns to his soldiers and orders them to attack the helpless town, mainly to clear a path to an ancient church.

* * *

At the base, all is pandemonium as soldiers rush about to get their weapons, messengers send out coded alert notices, and men give out orders, trying to organize the chaos.

The military base is being attacked.

When they heard the alarm from the nearby town, they immediately send out the handful of men ready to investigate, only to find out that this wasn't a small attack... it was a full on invasion. The news from the on-site radio operator shook everyone to their core as the man practically yells into the communication device, begging for back-up as his fellow soldiers get pummeled by the oncoming enemy. The colonel in charge is doing his best to send the back-up, but they weren't ready. The attack came out of nowhere with no warning at all, and he could only look away in sadness and slight terror as the radio operator on the other side screams. Shots were fired before the radio went dead.

All is silent as everyone in the room looks up at the colonel, who was still inexperienced to this sort of attack since he had only just gotten his position a few weeks ago; though he is young, the man only looked older as the seconds tick by. Then, he looks up and gives his orders, "Sound the alarm. We have a code red! I repeat! A CODE RED! Get all men to their stations! NOW!"

"Yes sir!" came the replies from the men in the room as they rush to their stations and sound the alarms, while also yelling into the intercoms. The base is now on high alert, and foot soldiers are sent out as soon as they assemble.

However, the enemy still had the element of surprise, and they somehow also have the number on their side. Then, as what seems like an endless sea of soldiers surge towards the base, the Allied troops were able to organize themselves enough to finally return fire successfully enough to push them back a little bit. But that victory is short-lived as more HYDRA/Nazi soldiers push forward with their superior artillery. It was their massive tanks and heavy artillery, against the base's rounds of bullets, grenades, and few fully operational howitzers. Things were not looking good.

The battle rages on for what seemed like hours to the remaining people inside the base, and on the outside, numerous men have fallen and the enemy is pushing through. The colonel is getting nervous as multiple reports come flying in, all saying the same thing: "They have breached the base."

Struck on its very foundations, the building begins to shake as the tanks fire upon the grounds compound. Thinking on his feet, the young colonel orders the radio operators to send out a distress signal to the Allies' main Headquarters and any other bases in any way they can, including homing pigeons. And quick to follow his orders, everyone did as they were told. The colonel looks on at the determined, yet frightened, looks of his men, and as the building shakes again, even he realizes that this is going to be the end, ' _We are not going to make it through the night.'_

With the last of the signals and messages sent, everyone begins to pack up any lose paper works in a mad dash, but a bigger explosion stops everyone in their tracks in shock as they all steady themselves. Wanting to preserve his men's life, the colonel yells at the top of his lungs, "GET OUT OF HERE! MOVE! MOVE!"

But then, one perfectly aimed missile landed at the center of the compound, making the entire building explode in a big ball of fire. The raging inferno blazed for hours, and when it slowly died down, nothing is left standing. No one survived. Except for one...

The colonel was able to survive the brunt of the explosion and the flames by hiding underneath some rubble, but he is still critically injured, with most of his body slightly burned from the heat. It took awhile for his eyes to stop watering and to be able to see clearly, and when it did, all he could do is look on in horror at the carnage and fire around him. The sky has even darkened due to the plumes of smoke, so it was impossible to tell if it is morning yet. "No. No," he mutters to himself, bowing his weary head down in defeat; however, the sound of coming foot steps snaps him out of it. Grunting in pain, the injured man crawls out of the rubble and goes to the sparking radio console, praying that it managed to send its messages in time.

When he got to the radio station, he sees a dead body lying on top of it: it was the body of a young man, barely out of high school, _'and now he's dead,'_ he mutters sadly in his head. Gently moving the body aside, he sees a red, blinking light from the console, a sign that their message has been sent. The sound of foot steps on rubble becomes louder, and stops right behind him. It didn't even surprise the injured colonel, he knows who they belong to.

"Now vhat do ve have here?" a sinister voice asks mockingly, seeming to enjoy the misery and death before him. Putting on a brave face, the colonel turns around and faces the leader of HYDRA himself.

"Schmidt," he spats out, almost as if it were poison on his tongue.

"Ah, so you've heard of me," the said man smirks and stands over the man on the floor.

Ignoring the man's mockery, the colonel says in defiance, "It's too late. They all know you are here."

Looking down at the man, and then at the blinking light, Schmidt turns around and grabs a slightly charred American flag. Gripping the flag in his hands, he rips it to shreds, before drawing out his gun, pointing it at the young colonel.

"Perfect."

* * *

 **Just so we're clear, even though this takes place during WWll, many facts about the time period is going to be changed so the story works and makes sense, so I'm so sorry for any historical inaccuracies, and I'm also sorry for any military inaccuracies, I have never written anything like this before.**

 **Also, updates will be very sparse due to school - hey, high school isn't a walk in the park you know - but I will try to not leave you hanging for too long.**

 **So leave your comments, suggestions, and/or questions in the reviews, and I will see you next time.**


	2. The Beginnings of a Soldier (Part 1)

**AN: Hey guys! Long time no see! Before we begin, I just want to say I am suuuuuper super sorry for not updating for so long. School has been getting in the way and I had other stories to work on, so there hasn't really been much time for me to write this (even this chapter has taken me weeks to do). But there are those who have liked and reviewed for this story and I am forever grateful that you guys have given this story a chance. Now the previous chapter didn't give much away, then again it was a prologue, but it should have given you a brief idea as to how the story is set up. I will base this off of the Disney version of Mulan, just without the songs and some dialogue changes, but I am open to new ideas as to how the story could go, just PM me or put it in your comments/reviews. So without further ado, here is the next chapter of** _ **The Little Russian Soldier**_ **.**

 _The Beginnings of a Soldier (Part 1)_

At the president's secret military office in Washington DC, the president of the United States is sitting at his desk, his head bent down in exhaustion as he reads the reports from Europe. Things are not looking well for his troops, as well as those of the Allied countries. By his side is his secretary of defense, Alexander Pierce.

The man could not help but look at the president worriedly, "Mr. President, do you need to go back to the White House and rest?"

"No," is the man's firm reply. Feeling slightly reinvigorated, the president sits up a bit taller, but that doesn't ease the tension that is in his old, worn eyes.

Shaking his head, Pierce continues to go through his own reports. It is getting late, and many have opted to go home for the night, except for the two men in the room and a few secret service men. Pierce is definitely worried for his superior—the war has really taken its toll on him, and it doesn't help that he is also facing a severe illness. But the man has stayed strong, and Pierce would be lying if he said that he isn't impressed. He still wonders where all this energy is coming from.

Suddenly, the doors to the private office opens up and General Nicholas Fury, along with his second-in-command Phillip Coulson, walks briskly into the room. Both men snap into attention and salute to the president and secretary, the general speaking for the both of them, "Mr. President."

"At ease," the president says as he places the reports down and looks up, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I regret to inform you sir, but Hydra has successfully taken a base near Tonsberg, Norway, and this has allowed the Nazis to advance into northern Europe. They're led by Johann Shmidt. We sadly believe that Norway will fall in the coming weeks," there is a pause as the information sinks in. Fury decided to add in quietly, "We felt that we should personally tell you this."

This news horrifies the president. As he placed his weary head in his hands, his only thoughts are of all those lives lost; more letters of sympathy to families broken. It's just not right.

"Mr. President," the second-in-command spoke up.

"Yes… Lt. Coulson?"

"This attack has ... come at a high price... we lost up to 800 men and women, and that isn't including the casualties from the nearby town, which has also been decimated in the attack."

As soon as the man gave the report, the general speaks up, "We would like your next order in response to this attack. I believe we should pull back our now-defenseless troops in Northern Europe and move as close as we can back to allied or neutral areas..."

"No... we have to stand strong against our enemies. We are one of the last forces standing between the Nazis and the innocent people. We cannot back down. If we do, it will only give them more confidence and make them bolder. It's a risk, but one we must take to protect the people."

"Mr. President!" the general exclaims, slamming his hand down on the desk a little too hard, enough to get the man's attention, and for the secret service men to place their hands on their holsters, "I beg you to reconsider. Our troops are spread out thin all over Europe, and each day brings more death. We. Don't. Have. Enough. _Men_. To continue this campaign."

The president is now standing up, meeting the general's one remaining eye, the other a scar that has earned him the position as general in the first place, "General Fury. You think I don't know this. I know that men and women are dying out there! Every report, news, radio transmission. I've seen them all. So don't you dare accuse me of not knowing or caring about my troops! My citizens!"

This brought a great silence to the room. No one spoke a word as both men have their staring contest. Fury then makes the logical decision of backing down. The president sits back down, grabs a document from inside his drawer, and hands it to Pierce, who has been quietly watching the exchange. The secretary just looks at the document with a shocked look and then gives the president a questioning one.

"Sir, are you sure?"

"Yes. Sadly, it's the only way. Congress has yet to make it official publicly, but it will happen."

The general and lieutenant just look at the two men with confusion evident on their faces. The other two men see this, and the president decides to show them the document, even though it is against protocol. After viewing the report, both men give the president a shocked and questioning look.

"Sir, with all due respect, this would result in a lot of inexperienced men out on the field. We don't have the resources or time to train them all fully…" Coulson starts off.

"...and we most certainly do not have the men to train them. Nearly all of them are across the sea in Europe," Fury finishes.

"What about Steve Rogers?" the secretary points out out-of-the-blue, earning him a questioning glance from the three men, thus prompting him to explain, "the _renowned_ super soldier. He's got the experience, and he is the only one with the super-soldier serum, so that makes him a prime example of the pinnacle of human physique and the perfect soldier. He is a natural leader and is just what these new recruits need to inspire them."

"So you're asking me to pull-out our best damn soldier from the field so that he can babysit a few rookies?"

Pierce is about to reply, but the president intervenes, "Yes. It makes sense. Sure Steve Rogers is the only super soldier and is the best in the field, but it is a reasonable sacrifice. He has the love and respect of the people. He inspires them and is a huge national icon. Having him train the newer troops might not only inspire the new trainees, but also the people. Having them know that their men are in good hands and trained by the best will reassure them and get their support for the war. It's a win-win on both sides."

"But sir. Captain Rogers is a vital member of the Howling Commandoes, and they have been hunting down bases of both the Nazis and Hydra and shutting them down…"

"But not as much anymore…" Pierce interrupts the man while looking over the charts of the Commandoes' successful missions. There has definitely been a downward trend in the past few months, with there being fewer major bases to take down, along with known raids.

"How about this," the president reasons, "Captain Rogers comes back to train the troops, but the Howling Commandoes go under a new leadership and stay in Europe. Maybe under Sergeant James B. Barnes?"

"Maybe…" Coulson says as he thinks about the possibilities, while also giving his general a look that says ' _Calm down. It might work_.'

But he is ignored.

"But I still think that it is a risk. Training men take time…something we do not have. I still think we stick to what we have and try to use that…"

"I won't have it general. It's too risky." The president pauses for a bit, contemplating his decision, "You know, there is an old Chinese saying, 'A single grain of rice can tip the scale…'"

The general just gives him a confused look, "And your point is?"

" _One_ person can be the difference between victory and defeat."

* * *

She doesn't dream often. But when she does, it is often about being free. Riding on the back of her horse, Tsarina: a pure, blue-black mare with no other hints of color anywhere on her. Nothing could make her feel happier, other than to be free. Being away from the restrictions of high-society life, judging eyes, and fancy etiquette.

But of course, all dreams have to come to an end.

A loud knocking on her door immediately wakes her up, "Natalia! It's time to wake up! You have an appointment with your mother at the spa in two hours!"

"Hmmm?" the young woman grunts groggily, not bothering to get up anytime soon.

"Young lady, you have to get up and get ready! The car that is taking you to the city will be here any moment now!"

Reluctantly, and with an obvious discontent, the young woman gets-up and stretches, "I'm up! Be down in a few minutes!" The clicking sound of heels is the only indication that the woman on the other side left. The woman, Yelena, has been almost like a second mother to her, but even that doesn't protect her from the wrath of an angry and grumpy Natasha Romanoff. And it wasn't even her fault that she was up late the previous night.

The previous night has been used to prepare for today. And today is very important for her family because it could be the difference between financial stability and eventual ruin. Today she is going on a date, and not just any date, but a date with a very important heir to a prestigious Russian finance company, one who has great ties in the US and Soviet Russia, and his mother. The date has been set up by both her parents and the man's in hopes of eventually creating a marital bond between the two families for either financial reasons or titular gains, her family being the one with the title. Natasha is not overly fond of the idea of being married off and having her freedom practically taken from her, but if it meant that her family will be safe and honored, then so be it.

In order to prepare for her date, he mother made her go through all her lessons in etiquette and pour through notes of things to say, both about herself and about her family, along with a few conversation starters. She had spent most of the night going through these notes, and nothing seems to be sticking. Then again, these lessons haven't exactly been the top priority in her mind.

But today is still an important day for her family, one she is not going to screw-up. And with those 'happy' thoughts in mind, Natasha looks over to the clock on her nightstand and sees the time, indicating that she has less than two hours to meet-up with her mother. Almost as if a lightning bolt struck her, Natasha jumps out of bed and heads to the bathroom to freshen up, "Oh s**t."

As she is getting ready in the bathroom, she also scans through her notes, but decides to chuck them and just write down everything on her arms; her only wish is that she is going to be able to decipher her scribbles later on. She then covers them with the sleeves of her suit jacket. As soon as her long, red hair is brushed and a light layer of make-up is applied, Nat rushes out of the room and into the dining room, where Yelena, her nanny, is waiting with a plate of eggs and toast, "Natalia, the car is waiting…"

"Yea yea, I know," Natasha says as she stuffs some eggs into her mouth and bites into the toast. Yelena scoffs at the sight, but smiles affectionately at the young woman, who she considers her daughter at times. As soon as Natasha finishes her breakfast, including chugging down a glass of orange juice, she hurriedly stands up and is about to dash off, but is stopped by Yelena.

"Natalia, aren't you forgetting something?"

Checking herself over, Nat looks at the other woman in confusion, "Should I?"

"Your father's tea? He always preferred it when you give it to him." The woman has the tray in her hands.

"Oh right." Natasha quickly grabs the tray with the tea pot and cup and rushes to her parent's bedroom. The bedroom is located at the end of the main, central hallway, which is filled with portraits of previous Romanovs. Most of the paintings were from Russia and were brought over when her family left.

When she got to the door to the bedroom, she quickly knocks and enters the bedroom. Her father, Anton Romanoff, a middle-age man of average height/look, is looking out the window into the massive garden. The garden is where they keep much of their statues, also brought over from Europe in their private, family collection. He slowly turns around as his daughter places the tray with his tea down, and grins as she drops the cup but quickly grabs it.

"Natalia," her father says lovingly as he limps slightly over to his beloved daughter, leaning on his cane rather than his left leg. She meets him halfway and gives him a quick, gentle hug.

"Hi dad," she then looks at him straight in his eyes and puts on a mock serious face, "No time to talk, but remember to also take your medicine with your tea, two times a day, five days a week…"

"Of course my dear, but shouldn't you have left by now. Your mother is waiting for you," he then sighs and gives her a kind smile, "We're counting on you…"

"…to continue the family line and help the family." Natasha says in unison with her father, giving him her signature grin and a wink while also pulling her sleeves down a bit, "Don't worry dad. I won't let you down." Giving her dad one final hug, the young woman rushes out the door, "Wish me luck!"

"Hurry! And good luck dear!" Anton looks out the doorway after his daughter. He couldn't help but sigh, "Ay-yai-yai." He then looks over to the intricate cross on his wall, "I should probably pray some more."

* * *

In the bustling streets of New York City, just outside a famous spa, Liliya Romanoff is pacing on the sidewalk, clutching and wringing her hands as she waits for the family's private car to arrive with her daughter. On a normal basis, she is a very calm, quiet woman, but today is especially important, and everything has to be important. And it's not as if she doesn't trust her daughter, it's just that there are times when she could be a bit wild and eccentric.

The pacing mother is brought out of her reverie by one of the employees, Agatha, who is also her favorite, at the spa, "Mrs. Romanoff, where is your daughter? We've got a big line today, and we can't afford any time waiting…"

"Yes yes yes. I know dear, but please give us a few more minutes." The other woman just sighs and steps back into the building, leaving the mother to continue her worrying, "Oh, of all the days to be late. I knew I should have stayed home longer and prayed more for luck."

"How much luck do you think praying will get you?" An older woman says as she walks over to Liliya, "Honestly, you'd think that after praying as much as you do, one could be considered a saint."

"Mother!" Liliya softly scolds her eccentric mother. On some days, she swears that her daughter got her wild, and God forbid does she say crazy, personality from her own mother.

"Oh pish posh dear, I don't mean it like that," she then pulls out a small cage from her massive bag, with a frightened little mockingbird in it, "Now I've got all the luck we need right here." Liliya just rolls her eyes and turns back to the streets, scanning for the private car. However, the older woman simply turns towards the other end of the street, and peers into the little cage, "Now. This is your chance to prove yourself. So start singing."

The mockingbird gives the woman a confused look, tilting its head to the side, but it soon realizes what the woman meant when she starts to cover her eyes and step off the sidewalk…into a busy, New York street. The bird could only screech in terror.

Cars, carriages, and bikes alike all halted and/or tried to swerve to avoid the walking woman. By the time Liliya realizes what the commotion is about, she could only look on in horror, "Mother! No!" But the other woman just continues, not even peeking through her hands. The swerving and stopping eventually blocked Liliya's view of her mother, and she hopes that she is okay. As soon as the dust settles down, several cars have stopped in the middle of the street; horses are jumping around, spooked; and people are groaning in either pain and/or anger. However, the eccentric, older woman simply steps onto the sidewalk on the other side of the street, completely unharmed. Turning around and ignoring the carnage in her wake along with a few rude/indecent comments from angry people, the woman yells to her daughter, "Yep! This little birdie is a keeper!" The said 'birdie', simply faints from shock.

Sighing in relief, Liliya goes back to looking for her daughter. Once the traffic clears and returns to normal, the car swerves onto the sidewalk, and the said daughter hops out of the car, "I'm here! I'm here! And just 10 minutes late!" She is greeted only by her mother's furious face, "But mom! It wasn't my…"

Liliya simply dismisses her daughter and tugs her into the spa, "None of your excuses. You are already late!"

Natasha could only pout and give a small wave to her grandma, who is walking cheerfully towards the spa after her talk with a policeman and placing the cage back in her bag.

In the spa, Agatha takes Natasha to a closed off area where the hot tub is, all while muttering, "This is what you give me to work with in less than an hour! Guess I've seen worse…" Working with her mother, both women practically ripped the clothes off of Natasha and then shove her into the hot water. "Now don't you worry Mrs. Romanoff, I'm going to turn your daughter into the belle of the ball!"

The boiling hot water makes Natasha want to jump out of her skin, because it is either that or being boiled alive. Her complaints however, fall on deaf ears as Agatha rubs shampoo and other weird hair products into her hair and her mother grabs one of her arms to scrub. As soon as she is about to scrub her arm, Liliya notices the writings on her arm, "Natalia, what is this?"

Quickly retracting her arm, Natasha stutters guiltily, "Uh…nothing! Just notes for the date…" Liliya just rolls her eyes at her daughter and decides to let it slide for today. Then out of nowhere, Nat's grandmother comes in and smiles, patting her bag with the cage in it with a smug smirk.

After the bath is the hair-styling, and Nat has to suffer through two women tugging on her hair in two different directions, all while arguing over how to style the hair,

"I'm telling you, we need to put her hair up!"

"No down! It's so flowing! It would be a waste!"

"But what about that pretty face! We've got to show it off."

"Don't you worry miss, just you wait. We will make you so pretty that your date is going to head overseas and win the war just for you!"

Nat gives them a half-smile and a sarcastic thumbs-up, but the two women must not have took it like that. They end-up just putting her hair into a bun with some tendrils of hair falling out of it.

Then it is off to wardrobe and her mother chose a flowing spring dress with an A-line skirt, along with a white, stylish cardigan that thankfully has long sleeves. As she is helping her put on her belt, she is also giving Natasha some pointers on how to behave and how to act around her date, "Remember, you must be poise. Men like girls who are calm, quick-paced, and mild-tempered, yet are also clever…"

"Yes mom, I know!"

The final step is make-up and a mani-pedi. They painted her nails a light pink, working quickly with their limited time. And they also color her lips bright red, gave her light green eye-shadow to accentuate her bright green eyes, and added a light pink blush on her cheeks. Even she had to admit that she looks good, with one final touch-up being to let one strand of her bangs to fall over her eyes.

Looking over her daughter, Liliya could barely hold in her tears of joy, "Oh Natalia. You are ready."

"Not yet!" Nat turns and sees her grandma come in. "Dear, you will need these," her grandma brings out a fancy box with her pearl necklace and matching earrings in it, "this was my lucky set, and it got me your grandpa. May his soul rest in peace. Wear it well. Also, you can't forget this little thing, just for luck." After handing the box to Liliya, she pulls out the cage with the scared mockingbird in it. Natasha doesn't know what to say. But knowing her stubborn grandma, she accepts the cage and decides to just hold it behind her with her clutch. Liliya just groans, but decides that a little bird wouldn't cause that much trouble.

Once Natasha is officially 'done', her mother and grandmother, and all the employees that worked with her applauded on a job well done. She is now ready for her date, and the thought frightened her. Stepping out of the spa, they decided that it is a nice enough day to walk, so the three of them headed towards the café. On the way, Natasha couldn't help but send a quick prayer for good-luck, praying that she does not make a fool of herself, " _please don't let me screw-up. My family is counting on me, and I cannot let them down…"_

Her thought is suddenly cut-off when some young boys rush past her. One has a baseball and glove in one hand, and another has a bat and doll in another. Following them, or trying to, is a little girl no older than seven, trying to get her doll. Natasha quickly thought on her feet and runs up to the boys. She yanks the doll from the boy with the bat. The said boy is about to protest, but is silenced by her glare as she turns and hands the doll back to its owner. After making sure that the little girl is okay, Natasha goes back to her mother and grandmother, who give her an impatient, yet proud, look and a happy smile respectively.

They continue on their way, and in no time, they are across the street from the fancy French café. And right there, sitting at a table outside the establishment, is the heir, Alexei Shostakov, and his mother, who is impatiently sitting and glancing around haughtily.

As the policeman gestures for the group to cross the street, Natasha gulps, holding on tightly to her clutch and tiny cage behind her, and walking towards her family's future. And maybe her own.

* * *

 **AN:** DUH. DUH. DUUUUUUH. Oh, what's going to happen next? Is the date going to succeed? Is Natasha going to fall for Alexei? Is the mockingbird going to plot the murder of the grandma? How much trouble can a little mockingbird really cause? Is this author going to shut-up?! Who knows!?

Anywho, here's your chapter, so please review/comment. The next chapter is going to be the date, and the events afterwards; however, the update may not be for a long time since I have other stories in the work and ideas I want to start. So until next time! This is FD signing off!


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